Hvar island

It is Croatia’s longest and sunniest island with 2.722 hours of sunlight per year.
The name derives from the Greek name Pharos (lighthouse), the ancient name for the whole island and the town of Stari Grad. When Slavic tribes arrived to the island they couldn’t pronounce Pharos so they changed the name into Hvar. From the very beginnings of seafaring on sails, the island of Hvar was situated in the center of sea routes in Adriatic. The port of Hvar being protected by small islands and of naturally excellent shape, made a safe haven for boats, hiding from perilous winds. Lonely Planet named Hvar in their top 10 destinations for 2012. The island boasts the oldest organized tourism in Europe, with the founding of the Hvar Health Society in 1868. The land is covered with brush and pine forest, and the arable land is planted with vine and olives, figs and almonds. Although Hvar is still most known for it’s Lavender it is also a big wine-making area: south side of the island is known for its red wine (Plavac mali) and the central plain for white wine (Bogdanusa and Posip)